The 2017 Albemarle-Pamlico Ecosystem Symposium: Eyes on the Horizon

It’s been a few weeks since the 2017 Albemarle-Pamlico Ecosystem Symposium on November 1st. The leftover program booklets have been neatly stacked, we’ve folded and put away our APNEP shirts, and we’re all caught up on emails (or at least getting close)! Our Symposium Proceedings are now online as well – presentation abstracts and slides can be found on our website.

We would like to extend a sincere thank you to all our partners who presented, exhibited, volunteered, or attended the Symposium – the event truly would not have been possible without you. We hope the Symposium gave attendees and presenters alike the opportunity to connect with the people and initiatives of the Albemarle-Pamlico region. It has given the staff here at APNEP the chance to learn from the current priorities of our partner organizations – since our organization is stakeholder-driven, our direction and focus are formed by that of our partners. We hope to take some of these lessons forward with us into the new year and beyond.

While Human Communities, Natural Systems, and Water Quality & Quantity were the Symposium’s session categories, one theme we saw threaded throughout the day’s presentations was how much important work is being done where these categories intersect. Talks such as Mikki Sager’s panel presentation on accomplishing conservation goals through engaging with underserved communities, Matthew Jurjonas’ talk about using interdisciplinary research to assist coastal resilience planning, and Dr. Sid Mitra’s presentation on understanding the risk from emerging contaminants to coastal and estuarine waters demonstrated how a more holistic vision of the Albemarle-Pamlico region can help both human communities and natural systems.

The afternoon’s panel discussion, titled “Eyes on the Horizon: Utilizing Partnerships to Address Regional & Community Issues,” similarly focused on how environmental conservation should not be disassociated from the needs and issues of local communities. APNEP Policy Board Co-Chair Holly White discussed the Town of Nags Head local comprehensive planning process and showed how long-term plans that include environmental policy and stakeholder engagement can result in a more robust plan with greater community buy-in. Carol Shields of the Roanoke River Partners demonstrated how healthy ecosystems can bolster local economies, and how community belief in the economic value of natural resources can help preserve those ecosystems. Anne-Marie Knighton discussed how the Town of Edenton is utilizing Community Action Plans to conserve the town’s waterways, which they consider to be their most important asset.

Interwoven among discussions of economic data, emerging partnerships, and water quality issues was the theme of resilience. Increasing resilience and preparedness of coastal communities and ecosystems to the threat of sea level rise, saltwater intrusion, and increasing populations is a pressing issue in the Albemarle-Pamlico region. Talks such as Lora Eddy’s about the Nature Conservancy’s new Living Shorelines application, Monica Gregory’s regarding the Division of Coastal Management’s Resilience Evaluations & Needs Assessments (RENA) Project, and Sarah Spiegler’s about the NC Sentinel Site Cooperative’s research into the effect of sea level rise all showcased efforts to assist communities with increasing their resilience to future threats. From these talks and many others, it is clear that creating resilient estuaries and coasts is a critical issue that these and many other great organizations are working to address in the Albemarle-Pamlico region.

During lunch, the value of collaboration was front and center as North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) Secretary Michael Regan provided the final signature for a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) facilitated by APNEP between NC DEQ, North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (DNCR), and Virginia Secretary of Natural Resources. The MOU will foster interstate collaboration throughout the Albemarle-Pamlico region to manage for healthy ecosystems and communities. In addition, Secretary Regan stated that his hope was that this MOU could also serve as a model for future interstate collaborations.

Secretary Regan was joined by NC DNCR Chief Deputy Secretary D. Reid Wilson and VA Deputy Secretary of Natural Resources for the Chesapeake Bay Russell Baxter in giving remarks about the importance of working together to improve water quality and ecological health of the two states’ shared river basins. NC DNCR Chief Deputy Secretary Wilson concluded that because air and water quality issues do not respect political boundaries, the collaboration represented by the MOU is extremely important.

We look forward to capitalizing on the signed MOU to increase our NC-VA interstate partnerships and to work both upstream and downstream within the shared Roanoke, Chowan, and Pasquotank river basins of the Albemarle-Pamlico region. The MOU will assist NCDEQ, NCDNCR, and VADNR in coordinating with APNEP to tackle regional issues such as nonpoint source pollution, restoring fish passage and spawning habitat, and controlling invasive species. Agencies will also explore opportunities to assist state, regional, and local governments in incorporating climate change and sea level rise considerations into their planning processes. Deputy Secretary of Natural Resources for the Chesapeake Bay, Baxter summarized, “this MOU is about the future.”

While November’s Symposium was focused on looking towards APNEP’s future, throughout 2017 we’ve also been looking back to reflect on our organization’s 30th anniversary. Through our Fall 2017 story in Coastwatch magazine about APNEP’s history, as well as our Sound Reflections interview series with past and present partners, we’ve sought to collect the perspective of the great people who have contributed time and effort to APNEP over the years. With their insights, as well as those from our current partners, we are ready to charge forward with our “eyes on the horizon.”